A catastrophic collapse at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City has resulted in a devastating loss of life, sparking urgent questions about accountability and regulatory oversight. The incident, which occurred on January 8, 2026, has so far claimed four lives, with rescuers in a desperate race against time to find 34 individuals still feared buried under a mountain of garbage.
A Tragedy of Man-Made Proportions
The landfill, where the Cebu City Government disposes of over 600 tons of waste daily, gave way under the immense weight of its own contents. Initial speculation about a landslide triggered by heavy rains was quickly dismissed. The true cause appears to be the sheer mass of the trash pile, which had grown to an estimated height equivalent to a 24-story building.
In the aftermath, a blame-throwing narrative emerged. Mayor Nestor Archival pointed to what he called an "act of God," while simultaneously asserting that regulators from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) "must be held accountable." When pressed on why the hazardous site was not closed earlier, Archival cited the need for "due process," a justification that has done little to quell public anger.
Shadow of Corruption: The Flood Control Funds
Parallel to the landfill disaster, serious questions are being raised about the integrity of massive flood-control project funds in Cebu. While no Cebuano lawmaker—incumbent or former—has been formally implicated in bribery or kickbacks, a cloud of presumption hangs over the allocations.
Data reveals staggering sums. The "Sumbong sa Pangulo" website tracked P26.7 billion in projects across Cebu province from 2022 to 2025. More explosively, the so-called Cabral-DPWH leaks point to a total of P83.3 billion in "new pork" funds. These were in the form of "allocables" assigned to Cebu's 11 districts, with additional funds allegedly merely "parked" in districts for a fee to the lawmakers.
With over 400 projects in Cebu alone, comprehensive investigations may not have reached the province yet. However, the widespread malpractices uncovered in other congressional districts nationally lead to a strong presumption that similar looting could—and likely did—occur in Cebu.
A Senator's Sleeveless Dress and a Cultural Side-Show
Amidst these grave crises, a social media firestorm erupted over a seemingly trivial matter. Senator Imee R. Marcos faced flogging from some netizens for wearing a sleeveless dress inside the Sto. Nino Church, allegedly violating the dress code.
Governor Pam Baricuatro rushed to the senator's defense, pleading for understanding. Ironically, the Agustinian priests administering the church did not rebuke the senator or even mention the incident. The online commentary, as noted, became "more priestly than the priests," highlighting a cultural divide where public figures are held to often contradictory standards of scrutiny.
The convergence of these events paints a complex picture of Cebu: a province grappling with immediate physical tragedy and deep-seated systemic issues of governance, accountability, and public morality.
